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    Hearts aflutter

    A $2 Million Night: Valentine's Day party shatters records as sexy ladies in red show a lot of heart

    Shelby Hodge
    Feb 18, 2015 | 12:02 pm

    It was a sweetheart of a night indeed when the American Heart Association's annual Heart Ball, held on Valentine's Day, earned a whopping $2 million, breaking previous records and surpassing the financial goal by $500,000.

    For this special evening, the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom was awash in swaths of pink, purple and red decor by Bergner & Johnson, the theme accented by the scores of ladies stepping out in red gowns for the black-tie fundraiser.

    Taking bows for the over-the-top success were chairs Brenda and Marc Watts, president of The Friedkin Group, which cosponsored the gala with Lexus. Also contributing to the fundraising effort were auction co-chairs Judy and Russ Labrasca and Amanda and Jeff Malone, Open Your Heart chairs Liz and Robert Rigney and auction-raffle chairs Mel Johnson and Eric Weiser.

    Gala honorees, contributing their part to the gala's success, were Jeanne and Peter Kinnear, Community Honorees; Medical Honoree Dr. Daniel Penny of Texas Children's Hospital; and FMC Technologies, Corporate Honoree. The program included a moving testimonial by 12-year-old heart transplant patient, Anthony Hailey Jr., who told of his journey from being the youngest person in the U.S. to receive an LVAD implant before a heart could be found to get that transplant.

    The night's diversions began with J&D Entertainment aerial performers, who gave special meaning to the gala theme — "Love Is in the Air" — as they twirled and swung above the cocktail reception crowd. Sauce the Band kept the dance floor hopping.

    Among the happiest of the Valentine's Day love birds were Catherine and Dr. John Higgins, winners of the Lexus IS 250, and Dr. Julia Andrieni and Dr. Robert Phillips, who were top bidders for the one-of-a-kind Tahitian Pearl necklace designed by Mark Pharo.

    Celebrants included Arvia and Jason Few, Lacey and Matt Goossen, Jan Carson and Tim Connelly, Jim Postl, Leticia and Steve Trauber, Dianne and Mike Bowman, Marsha and Fred Haas, Kristin and Jay Waring and Debbie and Jack Moore.

    Ford Beckham, from left, Bell Blakemore, Steven Guithier, Sarah Watts and Katie Connor.

    20 Anna Lebidinsky with J&D Entertainment, from left, Ford Beckham, Bell Blakemore, Steven Guithier, Sarah Watts and Katie Connor at Heart Ball February 2015
    Photo courtesy of © Alexander's Fine Portrait Design
    Ford Beckham, from left, Bell Blakemore, Steven Guithier, Sarah Watts and Katie Connor.
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    8 miles high

    Houston chef's menu takes off on United's premium business class offering

    Eric Sandler
    Jun 10, 2026 | 4:59 pm
    United Chef's Table chefs
    Courtesy of United
    Justin Yu, far left, is one of 11 participating chefs.

    United Airlines has shared more details about its new partnership with Chef’s Table, the acclaimed Netflix documentary series, including the menus created by the 11 participating chefs for travelers flying its premium Polaris business class seating.

    For flights departing from Houston, United and Chef’s Table recruited Justin Yu, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind Theodore Rex, a fine dining restaurant in downtown that holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In addition, Yu and his business partner Bobby Heugel own Houston hospitality group Thorough Fare, which operates bars and restaurants including Anvil, Better Luck Tomorrow, Squable, Donna’s, and a new, still-unnamed restaurant in Montrose that’s slated to open later this year.

    Beginning August 1, people departing from George Bush Intercontinental Airport will be able to dine on Yu’s three-course menu that consists of:

    • Appetizer: Deviled eggs with white soy, aged cheddar, and chives
    • Salad: Chicory salad with spiced bacon, chickpeas, cucumber, onion, and oregano mustard vinaigrette
    • Entrée: Braised Texas short rib with ragout of mushrooms, red miso, and black eyed peas

    “I wanted that slightly Texan touch,” Yu told CultureMap in March. “To me, the Houston part of it is the most important. There’s such a level of diversity. Introducing light touches of that to the meal was something I considered.”

    Other participating chefs include Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles), whose menu includes an appetizer of burrata with braised leeks, shaved Brussels sprouts salad, and beef brasato with garlic mashed potatoes; Jenner Tomaska (Esmé, Petite Edith, and The Alston in Chicago), who has created a braised leeks appetizer, an arugula salad, and halibut with sauce matelote; Tomos Parry (Mountain and Brat in London), whose menu includes an appetizer of grilled beef filet, lobster salad with grilled peach, and slow-roasted lamb with smoked potatoes.

    Chefs representing United’s destinations in Newark, Denver, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., São Paulo, and Tokyo are also participating. The menus will be available through September 2026. They’ll be updated with new seasonal items beginning in October. Customers may opt for the Chef's Table meals beginning five days and up to 24 hours prior to departure.

    "At its core, this collaboration with Chef's Table is rooted in a shared ambition to redefine what inflight dining can be," said Aaron McMillan, United's Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, in a statement. "Because our leading global network reaches into the world's greatest food cities, we're able to work hand-in-hand with world-class chefs and translate their points of view into dishes intentionally designed for the realities of travel and inspired by destinations we serve."

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